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Lilac_Dreams · 02-23-2018, 05:20 AM

In order to understand why, you need to know their history.

Back in the 1980s and before they were actually scientifically classified as the same species, it wasn't until 1990 that they were classified as separate species.

By the 1990s the Campbell was very temperamental and aggressive and, just like now, prone to genetically inherited Diabetes.

The winter whites, however, had a nicer temperament, no diabetes and were less colourful.

In 1993 in Germany an exhibitor decided to breed them both to cancel out the bad traits of each species, this however back fired in more ways than one.

The Hybrids are more prone to Diabetes, more prone to aggression and neurological issues and more prone to birthing complications. It's also almost impossible to distinguish between a Hybrid and Purebred now, hence why it's always assumed they're hybrids; it's impossible to know either way and it's detrimental to add a hybrid into the purebred population, not based on "blood purity" but rather genetic health.

Even trained NHC Judges with many years experience have seen Hybrids with the body type of a Winter White and the Argente Colouring of a Campbell and Campbell typed Animals that went into winter moult.

Because of this hybrid fiasco it's also now very difficult to distinguish whether new mutations that crop up in seemingly purebred gene pools are, indeed, a new mutations or a colour coming from the crossing of Winter White and Campbell, a good example of this is the colouration "Mandarin" which was found in a German Hamsteries purebred Winter White line and eventually went into the German Exhibition circles and was subsequently bred into Hybrids and the Purebred Mandarin Mutation has now been lost and is a completely Hybrid mutation now.

Even purebred lines with Pedigree's have had Hybrids crop up. There was a Purebred Campbell who won 2 Certificates of Merit from a well established and known Hamstery who then went on to have a Winter Moult that proved he was a hybrid.

It's actually been talked about in the NHC Circles of the possibility of a ban on exhibiting Campbells and Winter Whites for a few years while they try to sort out the issue of Hybrids and remove it from the gene pool.

The only benefit Hybrids have over Pure WW is that they're easier to buy and you travel less and in the USA, it's the only option you have seeing as no Pure WW and Campbell are in the USA. They're easier for Pet Stores to get ahold of from Rodent Farms, easier for Rodent Farms to get a hold of a breed... It's literally just convenience.

02-23-2018, 05:20 AM
Lilac_Dreams Hamster Pup Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Devon, UK Posts: 132	Re: Why are petshot WW hybrids? In order to understand why, you need to know their history. Back in the 1980s and before they were actually scientifically classified as the same species, it wasn't until 1990 that they were classified as separate species. By the 1990s the Campbell was very temperamental and aggressive and, just like now, prone to genetically inherited Diabetes. The winter whites, however, had a nicer temperament, no diabetes and were less colourful. In 1993 in Germany an exhibitor decided to breed them both to cancel out the bad traits of each species, this however back fired in more ways than one. The Hybrids are more prone to Diabetes, more prone to aggression and neurological issues and more prone to birthing complications. It's also almost impossible to distinguish between a Hybrid and Purebred now, hence why it's always assumed they're hybrids; it's impossible to know either way and it's detrimental to add a hybrid into the purebred population, not based on "blood purity" but rather genetic health. Even trained NHC Judges with many years experience have seen Hybrids with the body type of a Winter White and the Argente Colouring of a Campbell and Campbell typed Animals that went into winter moult. Because of this hybrid fiasco it's also now very difficult to distinguish whether new mutations that crop up in seemingly purebred gene pools are, indeed, a new mutations or a colour coming from the crossing of Winter White and Campbell, a good example of this is the colouration "Mandarin" which was found in a German Hamsteries purebred Winter White line and eventually went into the German Exhibition circles and was subsequently bred into Hybrids and the Purebred Mandarin Mutation has now been lost and is a completely Hybrid mutation now. Even purebred lines with Pedigree's have had Hybrids crop up. There was a Purebred Campbell who won 2 Certificates of Merit from a well established and known Hamstery who then went on to have a Winter Moult that proved he was a hybrid. It's actually been talked about in the NHC Circles of the possibility of a ban on exhibiting Campbells and Winter Whites for a few years while they try to sort out the issue of Hybrids and remove it from the gene pool. The only benefit Hybrids have over Pure WW is that they're easier to buy and you travel less and in the USA, it's the only option you have seeing as no Pure WW and Campbell are in the USA. They're easier for Pet Stores to get ahold of from Rodent Farms, easier for Rodent Farms to get a hold of a breed... It's literally just convenience.